モーターボート

モーターボート is a loanword compound from English "motor" + "boat," referring to a small powered boat with an engine. In Japan, it has two strong associations: recreational boating, and the betting sport of motorboat racing (競艇(きょうてい)).

Common collocations

• モーターボートに乗(の)る: to ride a motorboat
• モーターボートを操縦(そうじゅう)する: to pilot a motorboat
• モーターボート競争(きょうそう) / モーターボートレース: motorboat racing
• モーターボートのエンジン音(おん): the engine sound of a motorboat

Usage

• Refers to a small powered boat — not a large ship (船(ふね)) or yacht (ヨット, which in Japanese specifically means "sailing yacht").
• A jet ski is ジェットスキー or 水上(すいじょう)バイク — a different category.

Related words

• ボート: boat (general)
• ヨット: sailing yacht
• 競艇(きょうてい): motorboat racing (Japanese public-interest betting sport)
• 船外機(せんがいき): outboard motor

Cultural note

競艇(きょうてい) (also called BOAT RACE in promotional materials) is one of Japan's four legal public-interest betting sports, alongside horse, cycle, and auto racing. Hearing モーターボート in a sports context often implies this racing rather than recreational boating.